NTT Communications Corporation a global cloud services provider has announced that it will start operation of the Asia Submarine-cable Express, a 40-gigabit-per-second, ultra-low latency undersea cable connecting major cities in Asia on August 20. ASE will enhance NTT Com's highly reliable global network services by boosting the capacity and strengthening the redundancy of its Asian cable networks.

ASE, which eventually will incorporate 100 Gbps optical technology, will launch with a total carrying capacity exceeding 15 terabits per second, a total length of about 7,800 km, and special designs to withstand earthquake and typhoon damage. NTT Com is the major investor in the cable system, which has been constructed in cooperation with Malaysia-based Telekom Malaysia, Philippines-based PLDT and Singapore-based StarHub. The cable has landing points in Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia, and will add Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2013. 

The route between Japan and Singapore not only covers the shortest distance to maximize reliability and minimize latency, it is also connected directly to the Serangoon Data Center in Singapore and later will also connect to the Hong Kong Financial Data Centre. The direct connection enables customers there to use NTT Com's network, data centres and cloud services on an end-to-end, one-stop basis.